Now I know abit about god and christianity(duh.. I am a christian)
Now the thing is atheists say that god doesn't exist. but how many of them say things like oh my god or the like in their every day life? if they say that, then they need someone to unload their feelings, and clearly they choose god, so are they really atheists?
I'm not saying things like oh god are a good and religeus way to unload stress and feeling, that is what prayer is for.
I have to say, I dont believe everyone has the same thought you have towards what you just said. Some view saying things that can possibly have a religious tie as no more than a common used phrase.
That's a real interesting atheism today. They spend an awful lot of time worried about something that apparently doesn't exist. Except for 314d1, who's parents DEFINITELY never hugged him.
Pfft, I also say bugger off when someone annoys me - it doesn't mean I literally want them to go partake in **** intercourse. I think this topic is nothing more than glorified spam if I'm being honest. Your argument was flimsy to start with and has been utterly destroyed after just a few posts.
If that's a contradiction, then I can't imagine what an atheist saying 'oh my God' is. It's like a christian saying 'allah dammit'.
If you, as a child, were brought up around people who shouted "Oh bananas" whenever something annoying or stressful occured - that behaviour would rub off on you. You'd associate saying "Oh bananas" and stressful situations and be more likely to say it without really thinking about it. It's hardly like you're blaming bananas or specifically thinking about bananas when something goes wrong - just the words.
then I can't imagine what an atheist saying 'oh my God' is
Probably closer to irony than anything else. At this point, the original phrase, "Oh my god" has been sliding towards slangs as time marches on. Think about how many variations of that little phrase exists?
OMG OH MY GAWD OH MY GOSH OH MY GAH
etc, etc, etc
The meaning does not pertain to religion at this point.
But let's say you were an atheist and realized that you said 'oh my God'; what wouldn't compel you to stop?
Nurvana, you're missing the point, here. Avorne (and to extent also myself) was trying to explain is that they are just words. For all you know, the dialect of English I speak replaces the word Bananas with God and the word God with Bananas.
Culture just doesn't say that it means you believe in God.
My favorite phrase is 'god dammit' but I don't believe in God. It's just how most of us are raised and the fact that yelling at or for God in frustration just comes naturally. Has almost nothing to do with religion anymore.
Now the thing is atheists say that god doesn't exist. but how many of them say things like oh my god or the like in their every day life? if they say that, then they need someone to unload their feelings, and clearly they choose god, so are they really atheists?
Yes they would still be an atheist. using a term out of anger or frustration doesn't mean you are professing a belief in it. In many cases where an atheist uses this it's because they were once a theist or grew up around people using such slurs. If someone grew up hearing the people around them say 'Oh, Goblins!' when something bad happened it doesn't mean they are claiming a belief in goblins just that is the phrase the relate to when something bad happens.
The post above nailed it. Also I'd like to add that, as an atheist, I've never claimed that there is no God, I just choose not to conform to a religion. It is possible that God exists. Not a fact yet, but certainly a possibility.
